Had enough I am off

No work,bills still coming in so I give up and am going back to UK:I do not have a lot of things to transport so I have space to share at a very good rate.If you are interested pm me or ring 666782380

GOOD BYE AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL

I'm sorry to hear that.  Unfortunately it's something we are hearing a lot of at the moment.  So many people we know have returned in the past few months.

These are very tough times.

Best of luck with your move back.

Justin

Just wanted say good luck to you. I am in the same boat of no proper work since laod off in oct 2008.

But I am not going back there, whatever happens.

I do so feel for the people that came out to Spain, when under the pension receiving age. Although it has dramatically reduced, it is still something coming in.

I think you had real guts to make the change!!

As Justin says, so many have had to return to the UK, their dreams quashed!!

I wish you the very best of luck for the future.

Sorry to hear that.  Yet so many people post on other forums stating their intentions to come to live in Spain, often selling up UK properties and bringing their children.  Most of them have no work or place to live lined up, speak no Spanish and the main occupations seem to be 'plasterer/brickie or similar and 'beautician'.  Some posters gaily exhort them to come and start up their own businesses......

Whilst it's relatively risk-free for single, childless young people to try their luck in Spain or anywhere abroad for that matter, I do worry at the sanity of people who relocate their families in such a cavalier fashion.

I tend to think that many people with problems in the UK merely take them with them, wherever they go.  Do people in the UK not realise how bad the economic situation is here? Are they unaware of the high rate of joblessness?

Spain is a great place to live .......if you have a steady income from whatever source and are well-insulated against £/euro fluctuations.

Someone said:

"Spain is a great place to live .......if you have a steady income from whatever source and are well-insulated against £/euro fluctuations."

No it isn't. It's a dump. It's been 40 years now since we used to joke about the quality of services in Spain and what has changed? OK, so we can now drink the water. But it tastes awful. And that is about all they can show for the billions and billions and billions that has been showered on this country from the EU and holidaymakers and settlers. "You can now drink the water". Well big deal!

I have had enough too. I will be gone before the end of this week. Good luck to those of you who stick it out in this country where nothing and nobody works. The "Spanish Dream"? -You can keep it.

I'm sure that from your point of view, you're right. But what is valid for one person doesn't necessarily apply to all.

Yes, parts of Spain are 'a dump'. Ditto parts of the UK, France, the US, Canada, etc.etc.  I can think of places not far from here along the coast where I wouldn't live if you paid me.  I live in a pleasant house in a quiet area and enjoy a better quality of life than in other places I've lived in.  I am not the kind of person who will tolerate second-best either.

Services: well, I've had a larger than expected bill from endesa but so far I've had no problem whatsoever with service quality.  As for work, well, I'm not currently on the Spanish job market but I do know that the unemployment rate is steep and likely to rise. 

Everyone has their own views of wherever one lives, usually coloured quite understandably by economic circumstances.  Bad experiences leave bad memories.  But I wouldn't write off a whole country as there are very many people very happy with their lives here.

But as I said, it's all down to economics in the end.

Fair enough.

For the avoidance of doubt, I should just state that whilst I AM leaving Spain I am NOT going back to the UK. I had a chat with a very pleasant young Scottish economics post-grad in a bar shortly before Easter and we both agreed we would rather DIE than ever go back to ANY part of Britain as it now is, such is the diabolical state it's now in for all sorts of reasons.

All countries are facing difficulties in these challanging times, but some are doing better than others. Spain is bust, as we all know. But so is Britain, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Belgium and Greece. Further afield and more worryingly, Japan and the US are staring bankruptcy in the face, too. Even China is rumoured to be about to go into meltdown following its unsustainable boom in the face of total worldwide demand collapse.

The "safe" social-economic areas which remain are receding fast!

Well, we agree on one thing at least.....I don't intend to go back to the UK!!!!

Hi W&C,

Sorry to hear you are being forced to leave.  It is not easy at all these days. I arrived 10yrs ago, had a low income, but 'liveable' summer/pt job, but all that ended when I was made redundant in 2006.  Have not been able to find anything since :(

Savings all but gone, living on handouts from partner, parents and charities. But hanging in here hoping that 'something' turns up on the horizon.  I really do not want to return to the UK!

Clueless... Sorry to hear  your 40 yrs here on the costa has come to a bitter end.  I am sure you have good reason to feel this way, and wish you luck in your next country of choice. 

SJ

We returned recently and often wonder how the Spanish authorities think about people leaving in these numbers. Surely, the economy in some parts of Spain (Costas?) must be largely dependent on Expats retired and otherwise? It is true Blighty is a Blighted place to be at the moment (the political parties each thinking they can see us out of recession - they can see?) but of course there is "ones birthplace" aspect and certainly easier to operate in given no language barriers. But there is an element of "rip-off" in both countries and I see it becoming harder to keep costs down as those in authority seek to raise this and that cost to stay alive themselves. What may be of concern is the next global "crash" - but maybe I'm being too cynical!

Clueless in the Costa has made some valid points, but in my opinion has dramatically over stated the negatives. I own a business in the commercial centre featured in his video and have done for over 5 years. Our turnover is not down to 20% of what it was, no where near, in fact we continue to make a reasonable profit even in the winter months.

Since his video was shot MORE businesses have opened & I expect more to do so in the run up to the summer. The derelict units shown on the lower level have, bar one or two, always been empty since the centre opened, its not a new phenomenon!

Its easy to find fault with any country, Spain is no different to many others, but at least its got good weather!

I'm sorry to hear that wendycharlie. Life in Spain is not easy right now for anyone.  But neither is life anywhere else during this ongoing recession.

If you have no choice but to leave, I hope you manage to make a good life elsewhere.

Like some others here, there is no way I would wish to return to the UK and I honestly don't think we would be better off if we did so (probably a lot worse off in fact), but from your point of view, I am guessing that is the only option open for you.

My husband is retired and manages, even with the bad exchange rate. I'm nowhere near retirement age, and had planned on working here, but jobs are non-existent in our part of Spain.

So I work on the internet and that does ok.  But even that is getting more difficult as the recession is affecting people's ability to buy goods online, so much more work is required to get the same results i was getting a year ago.

What began as a 'supplementary income' is now a many hours a day job, just to help keep us ticking over.

I have a feeling Justin is probably feeling the same way right now.

But hopefully we'll all come out of this mess stronger...eventually

But none of this should detract from the fact that Spain is still a great place to live. It's just that nowhere is going to be fantastic during a depression.

 Why anyone would think that somewhere else is better is beyond me, the whole World is still in recession whatever the figures say, the slum parts of Spain are actually the parts of Spain mainly occupied by North Europeans (and mainly Brits), I live in inland Spain and would never want to live anywhere else.

I love the Spanish, the Spanish way of life and the weather.

However I do work and work hard, I have offered Brits work in my area but some things are below some people and it does not matter how short of money they are.

We have the freedom to live anywhere in the EU now, the more people that leave for "greener pastures" the better because there is then more work for the rest, I have known 4 families sell up and go back to the UK, 3 are already back and 1 is coming back.

Suggestion, ....go back for a week or 2 first and still see if you think the same.

Whatever the positives and negatives are, let´s face it. As mentioned in another thread, by someone that grew up in the Franco era, the bureaucracy is Spain is still riddled with that regime! With no compassion whatsoever for anybody that has wittingly or unwittingly fallen foul of the law. No discussion or appeal!!

Look at the incident shown in the video re. the fine made by the police. Yes, yes, we have all been told, the debt stays with the building and the new owners should have known better.

So, the authorities shoot themselves in the foot, again! See what I mean? Change the law, or at least allow for a sympathetic appeal, so that people are not victimised.

As a very minor aside, have people noticed that the majority of enquiry calls to businesses offering products, have to be through a 902 number. Surely, if people wanted to enquire about something, it should be a freephone number to attract consumers and increase business?

I love this country and have no desire to return to the UK and I think it is important to respect the laws here and try not to compare.

The immediate future will provide many wake up calls. I hope they are fruitful??

"As a very minor aside, have people noticed that the majority of enquiry calls to businesses offering products, have to be through a 902 number."

A 900/1/2 number ,as you say, is a premium charging number that justs re-directs you to  a normal phone line. If you use this site & put in the p/rate no:  you can find the normal phone no: & use that.

http://www.nmn900.com/

Thank you that guslopez..

I like it!!

I think wendy and cluless in costas would probably be CLUELESS anywhere, and probably post similar tales of woe on forums where ever they settle....life is what you make it.

I am so sick of the whiney Brits who went to Spain over the past few years, we all saw the thickos on TV programmes , some couples with children could hardly string a sentence in English, so thick were they , dads usually were tattoed around the neck and arms , the mothers/ partners were a bit scary too , we felt so sad for the kids of these thousands of uneducated losers , those poor kids we just knew were going to be hungry at some point because their moronic `parents` had no skills , no training and certainly no intention of integrating into the local life let alone even think about learning Spanish!!

We were relieved these morons were leaving UK in droves in the 80s and 90s because they were a drain on us all here too , what makes them think they can go to another country and make a living with any future if one is so unskilled , they were unemployable here so what on earth did they expect to find in Spain, the mind boggles!!!

The Spanish must be overjoyed that the pondlife is leaving in droves, sadly nothing we can do to stop them coming back to the UK , more drainage on our Council Taxes I guess because we will no doubt have to support them after their long sunny holidays , opps , sorry , their long `working`careers` in Spain , someone was right when they said what were they, `builders`, so called `plumbers` etc etc, well we have all heard the horror stories about the Brit workers in Spain now haven`t we !!!

Those that remain in Spain have made an effort, made a home and their children are doing excellent at the schools which are great in Spain, as is the Medical service , ok some things are not so good, you know what, come to UK, then tell me if this is the be all and end all of civilised life , it bloody well isn`t !!

Do people die of hyperthermia in Spain  every winter ? Does the water get turned down low or off when you have a warm spell , even we , in 2010 get bloddy power cuts and we live in deepest Surrey , joke, we live 1/2 hr from London !!

So all you miserable whinging losers just give evryone a break and clear off, just don`t think you are going to be welcomed with handouts and a flat, those days are well gone, you should have done your homework , got a job before you left, save enough money to cover you for at least 2 years in case things didn`t turn out as you hoped and kept doors open in UK instead of burning all your bridges , bet you laughed like mad when you were all leaving UK , probably thought we left behind were all sad`os !!

The truth was everyone knew none of you lot would make it , we have suffered the sight and sounds of the rough language , ugly in dress and speech every time we visit Spain , it drove us deep inland where the rough as guts crowd don`t wander , don`t even think of trying it inland, you wouldn`t even survive a week !!

Ther, I have had my rant , had to get it off my chest cos` those moaning miserable bloody Brits are getting me down, and YES I am a Brit , but an educated one who speaks Kings English , who is looking for a home in Spain but only if its as far away from ther naff places that atrracted the naff crowd in the first place, simply because the flats etc were dirt cheap , from what we have seen its like Coronation St with Stucco but without any semblance of community , and interesting buildings , really all just offensive to the eye!!

So you moaning lot, stop scaring the locals and their kids,  drinking beer at 8 am , getting fatter and redder by the day , take a good look at yourself and ask the mirroe, `would I employ me`?  I rest my case !!!

Here here!!!!!